Minnesota Twins supporters saw their beloved team do virtually nothing significant at the trade deadline for the second year in a row.
To be fair, since they really completed a trade, the Twins technically performed better than they did the previous season. However, it was a masterclass in doing the very minimum—a recurring theme that dates back to the offseason and keeps alienating supporters of the team.
From an optical point of view, it seems that only supporters are concerned.
The Twins made the decision to reduce salary this past winter in an attempt to pursue their most successful postseason run since 2002. Fearing that the Diamond Sports Group debacle might cost them money in the future, ownership forced the Pohlads to take $30 million out of payroll. As a result, the Twins failed to add any significant players to a squad that appeared to be just a few pieces away from becoming true contenders for the World Series.
The Twins carried that attitude through to the trade deadline as well. The team made just one move because, according to reports, Minnesota was afraid to make trades for players that would increase the payroll for the next season.
Although he beats up left-handed hitters, which helps, Trevor Richards hardly makes a dent with his 4.64 ERA and -0.4 WAR. He was acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays. Richards may prove to be a strong pitcher and a valuable addition to a bullpen in need of support, but he’s also the face of fan resentment after it seemed the Twins wasted yet another chance to make a significant roster improvement.
A disappointing, dull, and ugly trade deadline for the Minnesota Twins
In every way, Richards is a low-risk move, but evaluating the Twins deadline is more about what they didn’t do than what they did.
While there is some guilt for what transpired at the trade deadline for Derek Falvey and the front office, they also went into the situation with one hand tied behind their back. The number of actions that could be taken and the pool of possible targets shrank significantly if the Pohlads were unwilling to take on additional debt.
Additionally, it sounds like the Twins actively pursued players such as Jack Flaherty and Yusei Kikichui but were outbid. It’s not dishonorable to concede to Kikuchi, who the Houston Astros aggressively overpaid for in a trade that, had the Twins matched the offer, we would have killed them.
At first glance, losing out on Flaherty seems a bit more annoying. The Tigers were basically playing a practical joke on the Twins by starting to negotiate for Flaherty and demanding Brooks Lee, according to Dan Hayes’ account following the deadline. As a result, the Dodgers gave back two mid-tier prospects to Detroit.
Yes, exactly, folks.
The same is true for the White Sox and Erick Fedde, with whom the Twins were supposedly also in negotiations to sign. Hayes pointed out that Chicago also requested Lee to start talks, which should tell you everything you need to know about the Sox’s seriousness about handling Minnesota.
It is terrible to have lost out on those larger agreements and to have made what may have been the lowest-wattage trade possible before the deadline. But although we aspire to live in a world where all of this works out for the Twins, there is also another where they overpay and trade players like Zebby Matthews, Brooks Lee, and Emmanuel Rodriguez, and we are all very glad that we do not live in that one.
There is no avoiding the fact that Minnesota objectively failed to meet the deadline. It was necessary to add starting pitching, and the bullpen should have seen some changes so that Griffin Jax wasn’t the lone dependable arm. The Twins had a chance to bolster an already strong squad in preparation for a postseason push. That didn’t happen, so supporters are once more made to accept the ‘We have that at home’ approach of depending on internal substitutes.
That worked out last season, and to be fair, the Twins are receiving back from the IL players like Justin Topa and Carlos Correa.
Ultimately, the Twins made some moves, but they refrained from overpaying after the price became too high for their blood. Part of it was thrift, and part of it was making the sensible decision to resist being pressured into parting with priceless items for less than they were worth. Nevertheless, Kansas City, who is still far behind everyone in the rankings, made steps to compete, and Cleveland made transactions in an attempt to win the AL Central.
Minnesota did not, and the appearance of once more opting to cut costs rather than make a significant investment in the squad isn’t exactly encouraging.
Be the first to comment